Petunia plant named ‘Kakegawa S30’

ABSTRACT

A Petunia plant particularly distinguished by its white flower color and creeping, mounding habit.

GENUS AND SPECIES

Petunia hybrida.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Kakegawa S30’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia,botanically known as Petunia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by thecultivar name ‘Kakegawa S30’. ‘Kakegawa S30’ originated from ahybridization made in 1997 in Kakegawa, Japan. The male parent was aphenotypically fixed F₃ selection from a cross made in 1994 between twobreeding lines, 4UK-1 and P-1a. The female parent of ‘Kakegawa S30’ wasan F₅ selection known as 4-966-1a-1, originating from a dwarf multiflorabreeding gene pool. F₁ seed was obtained from this cross in 1997.

Two hundred F₁ plants from the 1997 cross were transplanted to a fieldin Salinas, Calif. during the summer of 1998. Three lines were selectedand vegetatively propagated for further evaluation. The three lines werepropagated again in 1999, and evaluated for fixed characteristics andease of propagation. Final selection of one line from the three was madeduring the summer of 1999. The line was established as ‘Kakegawa S30’,and determined to have its characteristics firmly fixed.

The terminal 1.0 to 1.5 inches of an actively growing stem was excised.The vegetative cuttings were propagated in five to six weeks. The baseof the cuttings were dipped for 1 to 2 seconds in a 1:9 solution of Dip'n Grow® (1 solution: 9 water) root inducing solution immediately priorto sticking into the cell trays. Cuttings were stuck into plastic celltrays having 98 cells, and containing a moistened peat moss-basedgrowing medium. The cuttings were misted with water from overhead for 10seconds every 30 minutes until sufficient roots were formed.

‘Kakegawa S30’ has been found to retain its distinctive characteristicsafter two years and four cycles of vegetative propagation and thisnovelty is firmly fixed. The variety has demonstrated stability duringthis time and has no inherent variation or off-types.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

This new Petunia plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographwhich shows blooms, and foliage of the plant in full color, the colorsshown being as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventionalphotographic procedures.

FIG. 1 shows the mature inflorescence;

FIG. 2 shows the entire plant approximately eight weeks aftertransplanting a rooted cutting.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘Kakegawa S30’. The data which defines thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inSalinas, Calif. Three plants from fully rooted 15 cm diameter pots weretransplanted to one 50 cm diameter hanging baskets and grown in the sameconditions. Data was collected on plants in 50 cm diameter pots eightweeks after rooted cuttings were transplanted. Color references areprimarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Societyof London (R.H.S.).

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

Classification:

Botanical.—Petunia hybrida.

Commercial.—Petunia.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Breeding line 4-966-1a-1.

Male parent.—An F₃ selection from the cross of breeding lines 4UK-1 andP-1a.

Environmental conditions for plant growth: Plants were propagated fromvegetative cuttings, and grown individually in 15 cm diameter plasticpots in a glass greenhouse located in Salinas, Calif. Pots contained apeat moss-based growing medium. Soluble fertilizer containing 18%nitrogen, 8% phosphorus and 18% potassium was applied in four, dailyirrigations. The fifth irrigation was made with non-fertilized water.Pots were top-dressed with a slow release fertilizer containing 18%nitrogen, 8% phosphorus and 18% potassium. The typical average airtemperature was 24C. The average time to initiate root development is 7days after sticking cuttings.

Growth:

Habit.—Branching, mounding.

Form.—Descending.

Plant size.—91 cm total diameter and 76 cm total height when threeplants are grown in a 50 cm diameter hanging basket.

Flowering habit.—Indeterminate.

Time to bloom from propagation.—4-6 weeks after rooting when grown in10-15 cm diameter plastic pots.

Life cycle.—Annual.

Stems:

Color.—Yellow-green (RHS 145A).

Description.—Round, pubescent.

Diameter.—2-3 mm.

Internode length.—4 cm.

Leaves:

Arragement.—Opposite.

Apex.—Mucronate.

Base.—Oblique.

Color.—Upper surface is green (RHS 137A) and lower surface is green (RHS137B). Venation is yellow-green RHS 145B.

Margin.—Entire.

Size.—Length is 4.8 cm and width is 2.5 cm, both at full expansion.

Shape.—Ovate.

Texture.—Coarse.

Venation.—Pinnate.

Pubescence.—Present, clear.

Number leaves per stem.—Leaves occur every 4 cm; the number per stemwill vary with the size of the plant.

Flowers:

Calyx.—5 sepals; 2 cm×8 mm (length×width); color is green RHS 137B.

Corolla.—5 Petals, fused.

Flower diameter.—6.0-6.5 cm.

Fragrant.—Yes.

Inflorescence type.—Solitary.

Bud.—1.8 cm in length; 5.0 mm in diameter; color is yellow-green RHS144C.

Pistil.—Compound.

Ovary.—Superior, parietal placentation.

Stamens.—5 total with two long and three short.

Peduncle.—2.7 cm×2 mm (length×width); pubescent.

Petal color.—Limbs: upper — white (RHS 155C); lower — white (RHS 155C)with green (RHS 140A) veins. Tube: Inside — yellow-green (RHS 145B) withgreen (RHS 143C) and purple (RHS 79A) veins; Outside is yellow-green(RHS 145B) with green (RHS 140A) veins.

Petal apex.—Reniform.

Petal margin.—Smooth.

Petal pubescence.—Absent.

Tube throat diameter.—6 mm.

Tube length.—2.0 cm.

Pollen color.—White (RHS 155C).

Produces seed.—Yes; <1.0 mm diameter; seed coat with netted pattern;8,000-10,000 seeds/gram; grey-orange RHS 172B.

Disease and Insect Resistance

No susceptibility to diseases or insects noted to date.

Comparison with Known Cultivars

‘Kakegawa S30’ is a distinct variety of Petunia owing to its whiteflower color and creeping, mounding habit. ‘Kakegawa S30’ is mostsimilar to the variety ‘Pink Wave’; however, ‘Kakegawa S30’ has smallerflowers and a different flower color. Table 1 below shows thecharacteristics that best distinguish the new variety from thecomparison variety.

TABLE 1 Characteristic ‘Kakegawa S30’ ‘Pink Wave’ Flower diameter6.0-6.5 cm 8.0-8.5 cm Primary petal color White RHS 155 C Rosy pinkblush (upper) RHS 66A Primary petal color White RHS 155 C with Rosy pinkRHS 68B (lower) light green veins RHS 140A

Table 2 below shows ‘Kakegawa S30’ as compared to the parentalvarieties.

TABLE 2 Characteristic ‘Kakegawa S30’ 4UK-1 P-1a Flower Color WhiteWhite Magenta Stem Anthocyanin Absent Absent Present Leaf Shape OvateOvate Broad ovate

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Petunia plant as shown and describedherein.